TOWN Hall chiefs are urging people to go out and vote in today's local elections.

Record low turnouts are being predicted across the country with the poll being only a year after the General Election.

In Bolton, the number of people voting in council elections has steadily fallen during the 1990s.

In 1990, at the height of the anti poll tax demonstrations, 49.3pc of the electorate voted.

By 1994, it had fallen to 41.7pc, in 1995 it was 37.9pc and by the last elections, in 1996, it was 36.8pc.

The record low year, however, was 1992 at 35.5pc when the local election was just a few weeks after the General Election.

There is also usually a huge difference between the individual wards in Bolton.

In 1996, the highest turnout was in the Smithills ward where 43.8pc voted, but the lowest was Harper Green with 23.4pc.

Nationally, a record low turnout was recorded in a by-election in Liverpool where only six per cent bothered to turn out.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: "It is very important that people do turn out and vote.

"In recent years, local elections have not had a high turnout.

"But the decisions which local councils make often affect people's lives more closely than the decisions made by the Government."

The polls close at 9pm.

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